Wisconsin's technical colleges win grantof $23 million

Moraine Park to receive $995,662 grant

Moraine Park Technical College is pleased to announce it has received $995,662 of a $23.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor awarded to Wisconsin's 16 technical colleges last week to address emerging needs in the Information Technology (IT) sector.

The successful grant application applies to the third installment of a multi-year, nearly $2 billion federal initiative designed to increase community college credential attainment in high-priority economic sectors. In the previous round, the technical colleges won an $18.3 million grant to expand innovative programs that produce high-skilled workers in advanced manufacturing.

Moraine Park plans to use the grant dollars to expand available courses within its current IT program offerings and create new certificates in digital media and network security.

"Moraine Park is thrilled to be working in conjunction with the Wisconsin Technical College System to provide opportunities to students throughout our state," Sheila Ruhland, Moraine Park president said. "Faculty and staff are excited to start implementing planned program additions."

"Collaboration within our system has allowed us to leverage more than $41 million to address the strategic needs and priorities we've identified with our workforce and economic development partners," said Wisconsin Technical College System President Morna Foy. "That's pretty exciting for Wisconsin."

The most recent grant will allow the colleges to enhance and expand career pathways not only within cutting-edge IT programs, but also within other critical sectors - such as health care and manufacturing - that increasingly require workers with advanced IT competencies.

Drew Petersen, president of the Wisconsin Technical College System Board and an executive with TDS Telecom said, "Our programs are uniquely industry-driven, and these funds will allow us to scale innovation in response to needs identified by our employer partners in the IT space."

Northcentral Technical College (NTC) led the consortium effort for this initiative. NTC President

Lori Weyers explained, "We recognize the importance of a skilled workforce in the IT sector and the significance of this industry to the state's economy. This grant award is a testament to the many individuals from the sixteen colleges that worked together to put this grant proposal together."

Wisconsin's technical colleges received one of the largest single awards from the Department of Labor's investment, and the collaboration makes the technical college system one of the few applicants to receive back-to-back grants. Grant implementation will begin in October.